The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-21
THE PAYNE BRIBERY,
How A1r. COwgitrs Committee Met With
.'Sollb Obstilcles."'

How N1r. C0wsiti's Committee Met With
"Soild ObstHcles."
CoLuMnus, O., Jan. 20.-Captain E. T.
Hall, who was engaged 10 write the report
Of the Payne Investigating COMMITTEES
last winter, is producing interviews Of a
mildly interesting nature respecting -the
ability Of the Republican members OF the
committee and the state CT harmony that
existed between them.
Captain Halls very latest appeared
to.dsy in local paper, and while there
was good deal OF 1t in quantity, there
was nathing In the quality to suggest
either freshness, sensation OF news. Mr..
Cowgirl said tonight that he iss:ed Csp-
tain Hall WAS talking for the sake OF hear
ing himself talk, and for the additional
satisfaction Of seeing how his utterances
looked in print. l.
The eist Of the Hall interview is the re-
iteration OF the charge that Representative
Rawlins, OF Clark county, would not sign
a report to the Same degree Of positive
moss as Messrs. Tompkfns and Cowgirl
favored and that the efforts Of these three
gentlemen in the way OF extracting i'm.
oortant testimony from Witnesses were
feeble. Mr.. Tompkins has not been in
the city to-day. tEW
e Mr.. Rawlius has nothing to add to his
full statement already published
some months ago and Mr.. Cowgirl
was not in very talkative mood, though
he expects to be before great whiio., \ z.
"There is nothing now in the interview
OF Halls" said he, "and l do not SEQ
why he gave it currency. Hall was a
hired clerk for the committee. Tho iact
that he had relations with us may cause
some persons to give weight to bis talk,
but We do not see that he has said any,
thing important. The charge that ho
makes concerning our iailnre to develope
tho testimony properly that was looked
very cheap and easy complaint to put
forward. ! suppose every lawyer has
lost case, has had bis clients point out to
him how he could have been successful il
he had done otherwise. We made what
We could out OF the witnesses, and while
there appeared to be an abundance OF
evidence, when We came To siit 1t, as q
rule there was nothing avail sble that we
could put our hands upon. Our power
WAS limited and We could not
reach much matter that should have
been available and that would have
been at the disposal OF commit.
tee OF the United States Sen.
ate. AS 1t was we gathered great mass
Of testimony, aud sent TO Washington as
strong case Of the kind as wRs ever sub.
mitted to tho Senate Of the United States.
II any one wants to make a personal in.
vestigation on this point, let him take tho
volume presented by the General Govern
ment that contains q full history and rec.
ord OF all similar cases that have been
brought to tho knowlodge OF the United
States Senate in a similar way. II any
one will read the testimony that We gath
cred and compare 1t with that presented
from Kansas in the Caldwell csse, or with
other well known ones, he will hpl that
ours does not suffer by comparison. 1tis
gery caay for persons to lind fault with
the report and to criticise the testimony.
It is always matter Of slight effort 10 any
one to become an objector, and 1t is an
easy way to attract notice, but 1t Is not al.
ways just. The committee did all that
they could do in view Of tho narrow pow.
ers invested in them, to arrive at the
truth concerning the charges OF bribery,
They were met by numerous and solid oh.
stacles at every turn, and each point had
to be fought for, The Democratic MEM
bels Of the Investigating Committee acted
as obstructionists, and did nothing to
further the interests Of justice. 1t was,
found. an easy matter TO have moral Ger.
tainty OF tho crime Of bribery, but an in.
possibility to prove it. The Legislators in
the Coal.oil Legislature that took money,
got 1t directly from the agents Of the
Payne people, and the whole transaction
was narrowed, as rule, to two persons. y
"Did tho personal relations Of the Re.
publican members Of the committee havs
any important bearing on the style of the
report7" was asked. J.
II can't be quite sure about that, though
II we had been OF one MIND there NIGH
have been Somo sentences in it that nigh
have made 1t seem more positive"
| ~ "A Michigan Dooni for blaine. 9
GRAED RArlp,, Nick, Jan. O.-The
Tariff league Of Grand Rapids Was organ